I think Hillis and Blount are both seriously over-rated and think you paid too much for both. Conversly, I like your other three picks. Addai and Hightower could both out-perform your two top picks. So while this is a good position of depth for you, I think you’ll be lucky if even one of the guys ends up in the top 15 at the end of the year. Johnson & Austin at WR is a great combo, but the weakness at RB and QB will have you talking trade sooner rather than later…
New New York Benders
This draft was a mixed bag for me. I got the WRs and TE I was targeting, but I have a very weak RB situation, and average QBs at best. Still, there’s a lot of upside in my backups.
QB: Matt Ryan($11); Matt Cassel($6) – These were definitely not my preferred QBs, but it’s not a disaster either. My top target here was Philip Rivers, but he wound up going for an unexpectedly high $32, which left me scrambling for at least someone competent. Ryan is that, and Cassel is OK as a backup/bye week type.
RB: Ahmad Bradshaw($21); BenJarvus Green-Ellis($11); Ryan Mathews($10); Daniel Thomas($6); Delone Carter($3); ** DeMarco Murray**($1) – Yuck. Blech. Feh. I somehow managed to get through the draft without a stud RB. Bradshaw and Ellis are both decent and reliable, but it’s doubtful I’ll see 1,400/15 out of either one. Definitely my weak link. I bowed out of the LeSean McCoy derby, which in retrospect was a mistake. On the other hand, there’s good potential that at least one of my backups could break out and save the day. Daniel Thomas in particular has a chance to do so, since I am skeptical that Reggie Bush can last as the #1 on the Dolphins.
WR - Mike Wallace($29); Dez Bryant($24); Brandon Marshall($22); Mike Thomas($6); Jacoby Ford($2) – This looks like a strong spot. Wallace could and should be a Top 5 receiver this year in his third year, with Big Ben throwing to him all year long; Bryant has as much talent as anyone at the position; and Marshall, who was already good, may step it up this year now that he’s finally being treated for his mental illness. Thomas and Ford are reasonable backups, especially Thomas who is a #1 in Jax and in his third year.
TE - Jermichael Finley($22); Marcedes Lewis($3) – Strong position, even though I definitely overpaid for Finley. If he stays healthy, he’s worth it. If not, Lewis is a strong backup.
DEF - Green Bay($5) – Again, I overpaid but at least I got a strong DEF for the money.
K – You’ll notice I don’t have one. That’s because I got down to my last slot and realized Delone Carter was still available and I was willing to cut one of my players and pick up a K on waivers to get him. It remains to be seen if that was worth it.
Just a quick little draft review:
Overly Sentimental - Chuck
1 (7) Aaron Rodgers(GB - QB) $32
2 (15) Eli Manning(NYG - QB) $12
3 (18) Ray Rice(Bal - RB) $54
4 (25) Sidney Rice(Sea - WR) $12
5 (33) Larry Fitzgerald(Ari - WR) $36
6 (37) Steve Smith(Car - WR) $7
7 (55) Jimmy Graham(NO - TE) $10
8 (72) Marshawn Lynch(Sea - RB) $11
9 (92) A.J. Green(Cin - WR) $6
10 (97) Jacquizz Rodgers(Atl - RB) $1
11 (101) Fred Jackson(Buf - RB) $9
12 (109) Danny Woodhead(NE - RB) $3
13 (145) John Kasay(NO - K) $1
14 (156) St. Louis(StL - DEF) $1
15 (167) Nate Burleson(Det - WR) $1
16 (173) Aaron Hernandez(NE - TE) $2
Best Pick: I like the backups. Eli, Aaron Hernandez, Fred Jackson, and Danny Woodhead were all good values and generally won’t let you down.
Worst Pick: Sidney Rice/Steve Smith for WR #2. Both once great/now bad WR’s with really shitty QB’s throwing to them. AJ Green, at least, has some upside with really shitty QB throwing to him. Burleson may end up your consistent #2, which may not be a good thing.
Overall: This team will come down to Rodgers, Rice (the Ray one), and Fitzgerald. Can three studs carry a team for a whole season? We will see.
Duke’s Devils - MTRG
1 (21) Michael Turner(Atl - RB) $38
2 (23) LeSean McCoy(Phi - RB) $42
3 (35) Reggie Wayne(Ind - WR) $25
4 (43) Philip Rivers(SD - QB) $32
5 (44) Mike Williams(TB - WR) $23
6 (59) DeSean Jackson(Phi - WR) $22
7 (122) Terrelle Pryor(Oak - QB) $1
8 (131) Chicago(Chi - DEF) $2
9 (134) Donovan McNabb(Min - QB) $1
10 (146) Isaac Redman(Pit - RB) $1
11 (153) Sebastian Janikowski(Oak - K) $2
12 (157) Rob Gronkowski(NE - TE) $3
13 (161) Mike Williams(Sea - WR) $3
14 (163) Jared Cook(Ten - TE) $3
15 (176) Nate Washington(Ten - WR) $1
16 (183) Deion Branch(NE - WR) $1
Best Pick: I like the guys you got as starters. Rivers, McCoy, Wayne, Turner, Jackson is a nice team. I also think you overpaid for each and every one of them (except maybe Wayne and Jackson).
Worst Pick: Terrelle Pryor. ‘Nuff Said.
Overall: I like the strategy of getting good starters, but your depth is garbage. With a high mileage guys like Turner and Wayne, I’d be a bit worried not having any quality depth. It’s a risky strategy, but if you avoid injuries and make a few good moves, you could make a solid run to the playoffs.
Court Jesters - D_Odds
1 (24) Darren McFadden(Oak - RB) $34
2 (28) Maurice Jones-Drew(Jac - RB) $36
3 (30) Drew Brees(NO - QB) $30
4 (49) Plaxico Burress(NYJ - WR) $9
5 (85) Julio Jones(Atl - WR) $10
6 (88) Lee Evans(Bal - WR) $6
7 (104) Hines Ward(Pit - WR) $5
8 (111) David Garrard(Jac - QB) $1
9 (113) Mike Sims-Walker(StL - WR) $8
10 (116) Owen Daniels(Hou - TE) $9
11 (127) Brandon Jacobs(NYG - RB) $13
12 (147) Robert Meachem(NO - WR) $1
13 (152) Rashad Jennings(Jac - RB) $5
14 (158) Lawrence Tynes(NYG - K) $1
15 (169) New England(NE - DEF) $1
16 (177) Kevin Boss(Oak - TE) $1
Best Pick: MJD & Rashad Jennings. MJD is pretty good value at $36, IF he is healthy. And if he’s not, you got his handcuff, who is pretty solid in his own right, for $5. Well Done.
Worst Pick: I really don’t like your WR crew. Lee Evans had 75% of his touchdowns last year in one game (against the Ravens who acquired him based on that game alone) and is a has been. Plax is red zone or bust, and most likely bust. Julio Jones is talented, but there may not be enough balls to go around and he’s a rookie. Ward is drunk, stupid, and old. Sims-Walker, at least, has some upside in St. Louis, but it’s just upside for now, and Robert Meacham is a perenial tease.
Overall: You got Brees, Jones-Drew (and backup), and McFadden, which is a hella good start. As with Overly Sentimental, we’ll see if three guys can carry a team all year, because I don’t like your WR’s one bit.
Chicago Cutlery - Omniscient
1 (6) Arian Foster(Hou - RB) $47
2 (8) Ben Tate(Hou - RB) $15
3 (17) Kenny Britt(Ten - WR) $19
4 (26) Greg Jennings(GB - WR) $26
5 (45) Matt Forte(Chi - RB) $28
6 (54) Jason Witten(Dal - TE) $16
7 (58) Matt Schaub(Hou - QB) $16
8 (70) Knowshon Moreno(Den - RB) $15
9 (76) San Diego(SD - DEF) $2
10 (102) Malcom Floyd(SD - WR) $10
11 (124) Garrett Hartley(NO - K) $1
12 (159) Ryan Torain(Was - RB) $1
13 (178) Chad Henne(Mia - QB) $1
14 (186) Stevan Ridley(NE - RB) $1
15 (188) Anthony Armstrong(Was - WR) $1
16 (190) Steve Breaston (KC - WR) $1
Best Pick: Foster for $47 is great … if his hammy injury doesn’t linger. And I like your middlin’ roster fillers like Moreno, Floyd, and Armstrong or Breaston.
Worst Pick: Ben Tate for $15. High price, especially considering Derrick Ward is Foster’s backup. Dump Ridley and get Ward.
Overall: A scary team, with a great mix of studs, and high upside players. I don’t like Britt, but he’s got huge upside, and Moreno, Floyd, Torain, Armstrong, all have potential to become great value. A lot is riding on Houston, though. Should make the playoffs.
Phoenix Redbirds - dalej42
1 (9) Adrian Peterson(Min - RB) $50
2 (47) Mario Manningham(NYG - WR) $19
3 (50) Tony Romo(Dal - QB) $24
4 (63) Mark Ingram(NO - RB) $19
5 (65) Mark Sanchez(NYJ - QB) $1
6 (69) Beanie Wells(Ari - RB) $18
7 (71) Anquan Boldin(Bal - WR) $13
8 (73) Roy Helu(Was - RB) $5
9 (74) Jeremy Maclin(Phi - WR) $19
10 (75) Danny Amendola(StL - WR) $5
11 (98) C.J. Spiller(Buf - RB) $5
12 (106) Sam Bradford(StL - QB) $8
13 (137) James Starks(GB - RB) $4
14 (160) Brandon Pettigrew(Det - TE) $5
15 (171) Dallas(Dal - DEF) $1
16 (179) Adam Vinatieri(Ind - K) $1
Best Pick: I like a lot of guys on this team. Bradford, Starks, Spiller, Helu, all have the chance to end up in the top 20 at their position, and they are were excellent value.
Worst Pick: I hate Mark Sanchez, but the fact you got Bradford for $8 later mitigates that. I’m not sold on Ingram’s situation, and he was overpriced at 19.
Overall: Another solid team. Has his stud in All Day, and some high upside depth. I’m not sure you can count on Beanie, Helu, Spiller, and Starks to actually produce, but if just one of them (I’m looking at you Beanie) lives up to their potential, you’ll have a pretty nice team. But that’s a big if.
Team Dragon Ash - DragonAsh
1 (11) Roddy White(Atl - WR) $38
2 (16) Jamaal Charles(KC - RB) $48
3 (22) Michael Vick(Phi - QB) $36
4 (34) Frank Gore(SF - RB) $31
5 (78) Dallas Clark(Ind - TE) $15
6 (89) Austin Collie(Ind - WR) $15
7 (107) Jordy Nelson(GB - WR) $4
8 (118) Joe Flacco(Bal - QB) $5
9 (126) Mikel LeShoure(Det - RB) $1
10 (172) Davone Bess(Mia - WR) $1
11 (180) Visanthe Shiancoe(Min - TE) $1
12 (185) Detroit(Det - DEF) $1
13 (187) Rob Bironas(Ten - K) $1
14 (189) Jerome Simpson(Cin - WR) $1
15 (191) Thomas Jones(KC - RB) $1
16 (192) Ronnie Brown(Phi - RB) $1
Best Pick: Frank Gore for $31. Sure it’s risky, but it’s not a bad price for a potential top 5 RB.
Worst Pick: Leshoure of course. But I’m also not a fan of the depth anywhere. Flacco gets a huge Meh, Nelson is the 3rd or 4th option (but I like him), Bess, Jones and Brown are just guys, pure roster fillers.
Overall: A lot of risk on this team. But if you think Vick can repeat, Gore can stay healthy, White won’t lose catches, Clark and Collie can stay healthy and have a healthy QB, and Suh can be a one man wrecking crew all year, well then you’ve got yourself a great team. I just don’t think those will happen.
Varlos’ Zzzzzzz - Varlos Z
1 (12) Rashard Mendenhall(Pit - RB) $40
2 (36) Felix Jones(Dal - RB) $26
3 (39) Cedric Benson(Cin - RB) $14
4 (53) Vernon Davis(SF - TE) $12
5 (60) Ben Roethlisberger(Pit - QB) $14
6 (68) Kevin Kolb(Ari - QB) $8
7 (80) Dwayne Bowe(KC - WR) $25
8 (82) Ryan Fitzpatrick(Buf - QB) $4
9 (83) Marques Colston(NO - WR) $19
10 (91) Emmanuel Sanders(Pit - WR) $6
11 (115) Baltimore(Bal - DEF) $2
12 (125) Michael Crabtree(SF - WR) $9
13 (141) Neil Rackers(Hou - K) $2
14 (150) Jacoby Jones(Hou - WR) $2
15 (162) LaDainian Tomlinson(NYJ - RB) $1
16 (170) Devin Hester(Chi - WR) $2
Best Pick: The QB value is outstanding. Big Ben, Kolb, and Fitzpatrick were all gotten at great prices and all have very good upside. Lots o’ trade bait once the season starts, I think. Vernon Davis at $12 was nice too.
Worst Pick: Intriguing strategy of cutting out the risk of injury to players by grabbing guys who are already injured. Colston and Crabtree’s price was too high considering their health issues. And Devin Hester sucks as a WR.
Overall: I like the balance of high upside younguns (Felix Jones, Crabtree, Fitzpatrick), lots of touches old guys (Benson, Mendenhall, Bowe). A very solid team, but I’m just not feeling the love. I think Bowe and Colston have big dropoffs, Benson may be done, and LT, Hester, and Sanders will be worthless. I’m just not feeling it.
Crowley’s Bentley - Hamlet
1 (5) Peyton Manning(Ind - QB) $24
2 (19) Calvin Johnson(Det - WR) $37
3 (46) Steven Jackson(StL - RB) $29
4 (57) DeAngelo Williams(Car - RB) $18
5 (66) Vincent Jackson(SD - WR) $23
6 (84) Wes Welker(NE - WR) $15
7 (90) Matthew Stafford(Det - QB) $13
8 (95) Jonathan Stewart(Car - RB) $10
9 (105) Mason Crosby(GB - K) $2
10 (120) Kellen Winslow(TB - TE) $4
11 (123) Michael Bush(Oak - RB) $3
12 (128) New York(NYJ - DEF) $2
13 (140) Willis McGahee(Den - RB) $1
14 (168) Antonio Brown(Pit - WR) $2
15 (181) Chris Cooley(Was - TE) $1
16 (184) Brandon Gibson(StL - WR) $2
Best Pick: Vincent Jackson at $23. Fantastic value.
Worst Pick: Not getting stud RB’s, (I got too scared to grab Gore when I should have) which is generally what makes fantasy football teams go. I shied away from spending 25% of my salary on one RB, and instead went with second and third tier talent to start, and some longshots for depth. We’ll see if that was stupid or not.
Overall: I like my team. Which I’d better because I drafted them. The glaring weakness at RB is an issue, as is Manning’s health, but I really like the guys I got to cover up those holes (Yes, I think Stafford will be a top 10 QB this year) like Stafford, Stewart, Bush and McGahee. I also like my cheap flyers (Antonio Brown, Brandon Gibson, Chris Cooley), but I just wish we had more roster spots.
New New York Benders - It’s Not Rocket Surgery!
1 (32) Mike Wallace(Pit - WR) $29
2 (41) Dez Bryant(Dal - WR) $24
3 (48) Ahmad Bradshaw(NYG - RB) $21
4 (51) Jermichael Finley(GB - TE) $22
5 (56) BenJarvus Green-Ellis(NE - RB) $11
6 (67) Matt Ryan(Atl - QB) $11
7 (79) Brandon Marshall(Mia - WR) $22
8 (93) Green Bay(GB - DEF) $5
9 (96) Ryan Mathews(SD - RB) $10
10 (112) Matt Cassel(KC - QB) $6
11 (148) Mike Thomas(Jac - WR) $6
12 (149) Marcedes Lewis(Jac - TE) $3
13 (151) Daniel Thomas(Mia - RB) $6
14 (154) DeMarco Murray(Dal - RB) $1
15 (155) Jacoby Ford(Oak - WR) $2
16 (165) Delone Carter(Ind - RB) $3
Best Pick: Brandon Marshall. I think he has a great year, and is well worth $22. I also liked taking chances on Ryan Matthews, Mike Thomas, Daniel Thomas, and Delone Carter. It’s a team of sleepers.
Worst Pick: Not chatting at all. What? You too cool to chat with us? Jerk! I also think your starters were overpriced. I don’t like Wallace this year (couldn’t tell you why though), and I think Bryant, Finley, Bradshaw, and Green Ellis were overpriced.
Overall: I really like the sleepers on this team. Really like. If Matthews steps it up, Mike Thomas can truly be a #1, and just one of the stable of rookie RB’s takes over as a starter (I’m looking at you Delone), this team could crush you like a bug. I’m just not sold on the starters.
Exploding Pancakes - SenorBeef
1 (4) Chris Johnson(Ten - RB) $47
2 (10) Jahvid Best(Det - RB) $22
3 (31) Shonn Greene(NYJ - RB) $26
4 (42) Tom Brady(NE - QB) $26
5 (100) Stevie Johnson(Buf - WR) $21
6 (110) Braylon Edwards(SF - WR) $5
7 (114) Johnny Knox(Chi - WR) $5
8 (119) Greg Olsen(Car - TE) $5
9 (129) Kyle Orton(Den - QB) $3
10 (130) Stephen Gostkowski(NE - K) $3
11 (135) Pierre Garcon(Ind - WR) $10
12 (136) Colt McCoy(Cle - QB) $2
13 (138) Darren Sproles(NO - RB) $3
14 (139) Lance Moore(NO - WR) $3
15 (142) Jerome Harrison(Det - RB) $2
16 (143) New York(NYG - DEF) $4
Best Pick: Jerome Harrison. He’ll grab the starting gig in Detroit and run for over 2,000 yards … in the first 10 games. He’ll also stop a terrorist attack, write the great American novel, and deliver a child in the stands during halftime. I also think CJ2K will sign this week and pay off well.
Worst Pick: Shonn Greene. When you lose carries to a guy a couple years from a walker, you’re not clicking like you should. I’m not sold on the guy. But he’s your #2 and easily replaceable by Best, so you should be fine.
Overall: That’s a weak WR crew held together by hopes that I don’t think come true. You hope Stevie will have as many TD’s as last year, Braylon won’t drop balls, Johnnie Knox will get his starters gig back and actually fight for a ball, and Collie, Wayne, Clark, all get injured so Garcon gets a chance. Overall, though, I like the RB upside and depth, and it’s RB’s that win championships. Or so they say.
HungryHungryHaruspex - Jules Andre
1 (1) Josh Freeman(TB - QB) $8
2 (3) Andre Johnson(Hou - WR) $40
3 (14) Miles Austin(Dal - WR) $29
4 (27) Santonio Holmes(NYJ - WR) $15
5 (38) Peyton Hillis(Cle - RB) $25
6 (52) LeGarrette Blount(TB - RB) $27
7 (64) Percy Harvin(Min - WR) $15
8 (77) Joseph Addai(Ind - RB) $9
9 (87) Reggie Bush(Mia - RB) $9
10 (94) Tim Hightower(Was - RB) $12
11 (121) Philadelphia(Phi - DEF) $5
12 (132) Matt Bryant(Atl - K) $1
13 (144) Dustin Keller(NYJ - TE) $1
14 (166) Andy Dalton(Cin - QB) $1
15 (175) Todd Heap(Ari - TE) $1
16 (182) James Jones(GB - WR) $1
Best Pick: Backup RB’s. Addai is fine, but I really like Bush and Hightower to have good years this year. They were a bit overpriced considering the risk and failures to do it before, but if they do it this year, this team could be great.
Worst Pick: Doubling down on upright running pounders Hillis and Blount. They were both pretty good value, and if they stay healthy and avoid being one year wonders, it won’t be a worry.
But Hillis wore down last year, which is a concern. And you have a lot riding on a quarterback who didn’t have a 300 yard game and had only 1 td passing in half the games he played. You might want to give VarlosZ a ring.
Overall: I really like most of this team. The quintet of Andre Johnson, Miles Austin, Santonio Holmes, Percy Harvin, and James Jones is the best WR crew in the league (outside of mine, of course), and if Hillis and Blount return to form, this team has a real shot at winning it all. I just don’t think it can get there on Josh Freeman’s arm.
See post #52. I was drafting on a netbook which, for some reason, cut off the very bottom of the draft screen. I could see about the first 50 comments of the chat - and that’s all.
Also, I’m a jerk. 
Neither do I, but I didn’t like the WR field at all after the top 5-8. I did have some $$ I might have spent on one of those, but WR-by-committee will have to do.
When you grabbed Plax for $9, there were still some OK #1, solid #2 WR’s out there, like Vincent Jackson, DeSean Jackson, Percy Harvin, Brandon Marshall, Dwayned Bowe, and Marques Colston. Combining the money you spent on Plax, Julio Jones, Lee Evans, and grab one of those and a couple more cheap flier guys might have been a better move. Of course, hindsight is always 20/20. And I am often quite wrong.
Of that group, I’m sure one won’t pan out - but if four or five are only on par with last year’s numbers, this will be a very very strong team. So yeah, could be a monster team, or a massive whiff.
I’ll tell you what tho - I like this team a lot more than some of the ‘balanced’ teams I usually end up with - you know, 12 guys in the Floyd/Moreno tier that just say ‘meh’. With Vick, Gore & Charles, the lotteries at WR…Win or lose, this will be a fun team.
That’s a debate I have with myself every damn year. In my money leagues, it’s easier for me to justify going for balance/minimizing risk because … well it’s for money. But for these fun leagues, I sometimes want to swing for the bleachers and screw the risks. Yet I never really pull the trigger.
Overly Sentimental - Chuck
QB - 1 (7) Aaron Rodgers(GB - QB) $32, 2 (15) Eli Manning(NYG - QB) $12 - Total: $44/2
Interesting strategy, making your first two picks QBs. $12 for a backup QB is a bit insane in this league in my opinion, especially when you’ve got the consensus #1 overall QB as your starter. Like the Packers, you’re screwed if Rodgers go down so why fight it? Plus Eli might be the only QB in the league that Bears fans can point and laugh at when it comes to tossing picks. Rodgers is probably a fair value at $32 but I really dislike spending so much for a QB, any QB. He’s just not that much better than the guys who went in the $15-20 range.
RB - 3 (18) Ray Rice(Bal - RB) $54, 8 (72) Marshawn Lynch(Sea - RB) $11, 10 (97) Jacquizz Rodgers(Atl - RB) $1, 11 (101) Fred Jackson(Buf - RB) $9, 12 (109) Danny Woodhead(NE - RB) $3 - Total: $78/5
Yeesh, going to be counting on Rodgers a lot. Ray Rice is going to be a stud this year but he’s also playing a division that’s pretty tough on running backs. Rice definitely isn’t $7 better than Foster or CJ2K, but that’s what happens when you get around to the last player in a tier in auctions. I worry a little about Rice’s durability, but I suppose that’s always true for every RB. That brings me to the next issue, you have no depth. Nada. You have a bunch of guys, but no depth. I like Danny Woodhead, but if you’re starting him a fantasy league you’re losing even during bye weeks. Marshawn Lynch is getting drafted seemingly on the back of his playoff pinball run last year, he’s a nice backup but a terrible RB2. The same can be said about his former stablemate Fred Jackson. And Jacquizz Rodgers? Did you think he was related to Aaron? Maybe this is a Jordan Palmer situation.
WR - 4 (25) Sidney Rice(Sea - WR) $12, 5 (33) Larry Fitzgerald(Ari - WR) $36, 6 (37) Steve Smith(Car - WR) $7, 9 (92) A.J. Green(Cin - WR) $6, 15 (167) Nate Burleson(Det - WR) $1 - Total: $62/5
Fitzy was the last big name to drop, lingered out there for a long time. That he went for $36 goes to show that waiting doesn’t decrease price in most cases. I’m not concerned about Kevin Kolb, I’m not sure if Kolb will be a good fantasy QB but I am convinced he’ll be good enough to make Fizty a stud again. Plus with Breaston gone and Williams hurt Fitz might be even more heavily involved. Rice is a good value at $12, I hate Tarvaris as much as the next guy and that’s probably good news for Rice, because I think Carroll will have to swallow his pride sooner or later and start Whitehurst. He’ll probably throw a ton of picks and not win many games, but I think he’ll get Rice the ball plenty. Still, Rice isn’t better than a WR3 and you have him as the WR2. Also I think you should trade for Peyton Manning and Vincent Jackson to really drive home the same name thing. That you’re choosing between Steve Smith (Carolina edition, though this year they both are hot garbage and it doesn’t matter), AJ Green and Nate Burleson to fill your WR3 spot is downright hilarious as one of your opponents. Cam Newton, unlike Kolb and Whitehurts (I notice the typo but think this is funny so I left it) will not be good enough to get Smith the ball, not that he’s got much left in the tank even if he did. Some QBs chuck the ball up when they get in trouble, Cam will tuck it and run. Dalton is going to be even worse, poor AJ Green. Burleson might be something if the Lions offense is a dynamic as hyped, but he also going once again disappoint and it’s not impossible that he’ll lose his spot to Titus Young sooner or later.
TE - 7 (55) Jimmy Graham(NO - TE) $10, 16 (173) Aaron Hernandez(NE - TE) $2 Total: $12/2
There’s a hell of a lot of hype around Jimmy Graham and I think he’ll live up to about 80% of it which is great. You spent the right amount on him as well. Hernandez might be a steal at $2, he was on my radar at the end of the draft and I hoped I steal him for a buck. You’re in good shape at this position, the frustrating thing will be that both the Saints and Pats spread the ball around a ton and certain players disappear entirely based on scheme. You might find yourself with Graham stating one week and putting up a blank while Hernandez gets 2 TDs on 6 catches, the next week it’ll reverse. Talk about frustrating.
K - 13 (145) John Kasay(NO - K) $1 Total: $1/1
Kasay probably won’t be on the roster come week one, he’s only with the Saints as insurance if Hartley’s hip doesn’t heal on schedule and to kick in the preseason. Kickers are kickers, but if you’re going to pick one it might as well be a starter.
DEF - 14 (156) St. Louis(StL - DEF) $1 Total $1/1
Sure, defense. The Rams aren’t anything special but the offenses in the division suck ass so it’s probably a safe play.
Unused $2
Hey, extra money!!! Have a hot dog.
Overall: This team has serious depth issues at both RB and WR. Frankly that’s an unacceptable outcome. You’re basically counting on the Seahawks to become an offensive juggernaut…with Tarvaris under center in week 1. Seriously troubling. You spent big on a backup QB and a TE. Both Eli and Graham should have value and weren’t reaches, but they were luxuries I don’t think you could afford. You grabbed the top RB and QB, costwise, and I don’t think either one will stand far ahead of the other guys in their tier. Sometimes having shabby depth is defensible if you fill it out with guys who have a 10% chance of being a homerun, you don’t have that in any of those guys IMHO. You’ve got a bunch of guys who’s max upside is probably a ground rule double and I don’t see any trade bait to change that equation. Rodgers, Ray Rice and Larry Fitzgerald will win you a few weeks by themselves, but that might make you a .500 team at best.
Grade: C-
Duke’s Devils - MTRG
QB - 4 (43) Philip Rivers(SD - QB) $32, 7 (122) Terrelle Pryor(Oak - QB) $1, 9 (134) Donovan McNabb(Min - QB) $1 Total: $34/3
I’m a longtime Rivers backer and I see no reason to think he won’t repeat his numbers from the past few seasons again. That reliability makes him very valuable. My previous comments about high priced QBs stands, but like Rodgers Rivers is one of the guys to justify it. If I had my choice I’d prefer Rivers at $32 over Rodgers because I think he’s far less likely to get into low scoring defensive battles and weather restricted affairs, but I think the general consensus will be that you slightly overpaid for him. Pryor is too ridiculous a pick to even discuss. I’m assuming you nominated him expecting someone else to bid and that you didn’t actually want him, but that rationale might be even more silly than wanting him in the first place. The real issue with Pryor is that I think drafting players on a whim is riskier in this league than others because of the FAAB budget and the fact that it might have cost you a real value in one of those $1-2 roster fillers that fall into peoples laps. McNabb is probably the right kind of backup for this league. He cost you a buck, is unlikely to be benched early in the season and should score some points on a bye week. You went all in on Rivers, own it.
RB - 1 (21) Michael Turner(Atl - RB) $38, 2 (23) LeSean McCoy(Phi - RB) $42, 10 (146) Isaac Redman(Pit - RB) $1 Total: $81/3
Talk about going all in. To steal a line from TMR I think the hate has gone too far on Michael Turner. In standard serpentine drafts he’s falling well into the second round and I think he’s still a workhorse back. I like him far more than Mendenhall and Gore, but he’s not being drafted that way. That said, $38 is probably right where he belongs in this auction. I like the Atlanta offense all around this year and all the buzz around Julio Jones and his blocking ability should get Turner more big runs. McCoy is a weird one, he too was probably properly valued if maybe a couple dollars high, but I am always leery about Andy Reid backs. I never liked Westbrook and I feel the same way about McCoy. I haven’t run the numbers to decide if this bias is justified or not, but I just get the impression that he’s going to disappoint a lot of folks. He won’t get enough goal line touches, he’ll probably get hurt and Vick will eat into his production because he doesn’t like to check down. As for Isaac Redman, well that’s just sad, he’d be fine as a handcuff or a 6th high upside back but you don’t want a guy like him as your number 3 under any circumstance, triply so when you don’t have a number 4, 5 or 6.
WR - 3 (35) Reggie Wayne(Ind - WR) $25, 5 (44) Mike Williams(TB - WR) $23, 6 (59) DeSean Jackson(Phi - WR) $22, 13 (161) Mike Williams(Sea - WR) $3, 15 (176) Nate Washington(Ten - WR) $1, 16 (183) Deion Branch(NE - WR) $1 Total: $75/6
You went heavy on WR in the upper middle rounds and I think that’s the right choice in this league with 3 WRs and no flex, WR gets thin in a hurry this year. Your top three are excellent guys with major question marks. Those question marks didn’t hold down their value as much as I thought it should, but they aren’t crazy expensive either. I worry about Peyton Manning, I worry about the Bucs offense regressing, I worry about Jackson’s health but they all have major upside. I think your cheap backups are the perfect mix to complement these guys, all of them are pretty much assured of targets and should generate some value in a pinch. However, you don’t need 3 backups with that group of starters. You’d have been much better off passing on the fat Mike Williams for a low cost running back.
TE - 12 (157) Rob Gronkowski(NE - TE) $3, 14 (163) Jared Cook(Ten - TE) $3 Total: $6/2
You spent big on starters across the board. There’s nothing left for TE at all, but you managed to get yourself a pretty good one anyways in Gronk. I count Cook as a total waste of $3, take the $6 from Williams and Cook and spend it on a Daniel Thomas and I like this team a heck of a lot more.
K - 11 (153) Sebastian Janikowski(Oak - K) $2 Total: $2/1
Sea Bass. You probably could have gotten him for $1.
DEF - 8 (131) Chicago(Chi - DEF) $2 Total: $2/1
It’ll be interesting to see what the Bears defense does this year. I love the front 7 and I think we’ll generate a ton of sacks this year on obvious passing downs and we should stuff the run well once again. I’m pretty worried about the secondary. Tillman and Harris are a year older, Major Wright needs to stay healthy and tackle better and we’ve got almost no depth to rely on. I think “Lovie’s Guys” are a bunch of wasted draft picks. For fantasy, I can’t complain about a high upside defense for $2, but they’ve got a pretty gnarly schedule this year.
Unused $0
Do no pass go, do not collect $200 dollars.
Overall: I think this is a really scary team Rivers, Turner, McCoy, Wayne, Williams, Jackson is about as potent a front 6 as you’re likely to see in this league. The depth really suffered for it and injuries could become a real problem, especially at RB, but as long as it’s confined to just 1 player you still might be okay. I might look to trade a guy like Williams for a solid 3rd RB if I were you and I might dump Redman for a handcuff of a guy you actually own.
Grade: A-
Overrated is fair enough, but I didn’t really overpay for either RB. I’m really glad everyone thinks Peyton Hillis “wore down” last year, because otherwise I never would have gotten him for the price I did. It’s not true that he wore down, actually, but I’m thankful. I was counting on that meme going into the draft.
Okay, I admit I overpaid for Blount, but when he came up there was literally no one left I could count on as an every day starter. He was the last guy left who had #1 upside WITH #1 opportunity. I paid about $2 more than his average price. Label that overpaid if you will. He’s a perfectly good #2 in a 12 team league.
I think the only legitimate criticism of my top two RBs is that they are both physical runners who have never been successful twice. So there’s a whole lot more risk there than I anticipated taking on before the draft. It’s even money that my top two guys at the most critical position in fantasy football could both bust. Scary thought!
Fuck you, Irene.
Glad you’re alive though. We were worried something had happened.
I appreciate that.
I never lost power, which is almost unheard of. I didn’t lose any services at all until Sunday night around midnight, when the cable (which includes internet and phone) went out. This was 12 hours after the storm had passed, so it was pretty annoying, but whatever. It stayed off until today (Thursday) at around 3pm, which got really annoying Tuesday night then Wednesday night as I knew I was missing drafts.
My sister lost power from Sunday morning to Tuesday afternoon. I briefly considered imposing, but she has young kids and our fantasy drafts are simply too late at night.
Today there was a final little dig: about 45 minutes after cable came back, the power went out. When I called the power company, they said to expect power back September 6th. Tuesday! I was fuming mad, but thankfully power came back after an hour.
What really made it irritating is that my DVR was at ~90%, so while this would have been a perfect opportunity to clear off a bunch of stuff, it rebooted itself (which it does every few months or so) 30 minutes after cable went out. When the DVR reboots, it won’t turn back on until it gets a confirmation signal, meaning I couldn’t even use my DVR the whole time. So pissed!
Next time there’s a hurricane you’ll know better.
Not sure I follow.
You’ll know to jump in the car and drive to a Starbucks in West Virginia or something. Priorities.
I’ve already lost a player to season-ending injury. What a strong start to my season.
Not to mention a backup QB due to general suckiness.
